Carburetor mounting means



Nov. 8, 1966 A. MENNESSON CARBURETOR MOUNTING MEANS Original Filed Jan. 24, 1961 NVE N TOR ANDRE LOUIS MEN/V5550 I g 2 z I f A T T ORN E Y5 United States Patent 3,284,065 CARBURETOR MOUNTING MEANS Andr Louis Mennesson, Neuilly-sur-Seine, France, as-

signor to Societe Industrielle de Brevets et dEtudes S.I.B.E., Neuilly-sur-Seine, France, a society of France Continuation of application Ser. No. 84,689, Jan. 24, 1961. This application Jan. 4, 1965, Ser. No. 425,676 Claims priority, application France, Dec. 29, 1960, 848,260 7 Claims. (Cl. 261-65) This application is a continuation of application Serial No. 84,689, filed January 24, 1961, now abandoned.

The present invention relates to carburation apparatus comprising a conduit made of a meta-l having a low melting point and which is to be secured through flange means to a tube heated to a relatively high temperature. The invention is more especially but not exclusively concerned with carburation apparatus where the metal forming the body and suction pipe thereof generally is an alloy consisting chiefly of zinc and said pipe is fixed to an engine intake pipe which is often heated to a high temperature.

It has been found that the fixation flange carried by a carburetor which flange is generally of substantially oval shape and is provided with two fixation holes located on opposite sides of a central bore forming the suction conduit, the bore containing the throttle member of the carburetor, is deformed to a substantial degree when the flange to which the carburetor is fixed reaches a relatively high temperature. Now, such a temperature often occurs when the intake pipe which is to be fitted with a carburetor proper has a very hot point which brings the temperature of the fixation flange of the tube located under the carburetor to values which may reach 150 and even 200 C.

It has been found that, in this case, after some time, the central bore of the carburetor is deformed into a substantially elliptical shape, the major axis of which is perpendicular to the axis extending between the two fixation nuts. These deformations are due to expansions in the mass of metal (FIG. 1).

If the throttle member is located in the deformed portion of this pipe, some difficulties result in obtaining a good gastightness past said throttle member and the adjustment of idling is disturbed. As the carburetor flange is strongly secured by the two fixation nuts, all expansion deformations take place from these nuts inwardly toward the bore in the direction indicated by the arrows of FIG. 1. This produces a deformation of said bore which then assumes, in the section shown by FIG. 1, the shape shown in dotted lines. In the section by a perpendicular plane, on the contrary, there is produced an increase of the diameter, so that the perimeter is increased very little.

The object of the present invention is to provide apparatus of the above mentioned kind which is less liable to suffer from the drawbacks above specified.

The invention consists chiefly in constituting the fixation flange of the apparatus by a plate of a metal having a coeflieient of expansion substantially lower than that of the metal forming the above mentioned conduit, said conduit and said plate being united together through anchoring means located in the vicinity of the inner wall of the conduit.

Preferred embodiment of the present invention will be hereinafter described with reference to the accompanying drawings, given merely by way of example and in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the conventional fixation of a carburetor on the intake pipe of an engine.

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view of a downdraft vertical carburetor made according to a first embodiment of the invention.

Patented Nov. 8, 1966 FIG. 3 is a sectional view on the line IIIIII of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a part sectional view on the line IV-1V of FIG. 3.

FIGS. 5 and 6 are views similar to FIGS. 2 and 3, respectively, of a carburetor made according to a second embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIGS. 2 and 5 of a carburetor made according to a third embodiment of the invention.

The downdraft carburetor illustrated diagramatically by FIG. 2 comprises a conduit 1 made of a metal having low melting point, such as a zinc alloy. This conduit carries, on the inside thereof, a throttle member 2, and the bottom end of conduit 1 is to be fixed through flange means to an intake pipe 3.

Throttle member 2 is preferably a butterfly Valve mounted to turn about an axis transverse to the longitudinal axis of the conduit 1.

According to the present invention, instead of making the fixation flange of the carburetor integral with conduit 1, this flange is made of a plate 4 of a metal different from that of the conduit 1. This plate 4 is for instance made from a metal sheet of a thickness ranging from 1 to 2 mm. Plate 4 is united with conduit 1 through anchoring means located as close as possible to the inner wall of conduit 1. In the embodiment shown by the drawings, plate 4 has the conventional oval outlines of carburetor flanges but of course it might be of any other shape, for instance triangular or square.

In the embodiment illustrated by FIGS. 2 to 4, plate 4 comprises a plurality of anchoring tongues 5 (for instance six as shown by FIG. 2) consisting of small strips of metal cut from the inner edge of the plate and up-turned as visible in FIG. 4. Plate 4 is further provided with two holes 6 to accommodate fixation bolts or pins and with a central passage of a diameter slightly greater than the diameter of the bore of conduit 1. In the form shown, the line joining these bolts is perpendicular to the axis of rotation of throttle valve 2.

In order to assemble plate 4 with conduit 1, said plate is previously disposed in the device for casting the piece of low melting point alloy and this alloy is cast, generally by a metal injection method, over plate 4. The alloy then penetrates into all the spaces and recesses that may exist and in particular under the anchoring tongues 5, so that after cooling it is no longer possible to separate the body of conduit 1, made of a low melting point alloy, from the metal plate 4.

Fixation of the carburetor body,'made of said alloy rigidly united with plate 4 acting as a flange, is effected by means of bolts or nuts which act exclusively upon plate 4 and not on any part made of the alloy. Thus when expansion takes place due to a rise of the temperature exerted on the fixation nuts. The only stresses that occur are pro duced by the anchoring of the metal plate in the body of the alloy and as the anchoring means are located as close as possible to the central bore of the conduit all expansions take place from the inside toward the outside without producing any material deformations of the inner bore of conduit 1.

According to the embodiment of FIGS. 5 and 6, plate 4 is made of stamped steel and the anchoring of conduit 1 on this plate is ensured by a circular upturned portion 7 surrounding the central passage of the flange, this portion being embedded, when conduit 1 is cast, in the low melting point metal which constitutes this conduit. In this case, the external edge 8 of plate 4 is also up-turned so as to improve the rigidity of the flange.

According to the embodiment illustrated by FIG. 7, plate 4 is thicker and made of machined or cast metal, this metal having a melting point higher than that of conduit 1. -This conduit is anchored on plate 4 in a manner analogous to that illustrated by FIG. 5, the low melting point metal penetrating into a groove 19 provided in an upward projection 9.

The principle of the invention is the same in all cases, to wit that, in case of an important expansion of the low melting point metal of conduit 1, the expansion eifects take place in the centrifugal direction since the anchoring is effected very close to the central bore. Thus there is no deformation of this central bore. Only the external shapes may change and finally the fluid-tight mounting of member 2 is not impaired.

In any event, plate 4 will be made of a metal having preferably a melting point at least 200 C. above that of the metal or alloy of conduit 1. Plate 4 can thus be made of steel, brass, bronze, etc.

In some cases, it may be advantageous to use, for plate 4, a metal such as Invar metal which has a coeflicient of expansion substantially lower than that of the metal of conduit 1.

Of course, plate 4 might be incorporated in carburetors having several bodies.

In a general manner, while I have, in the above description, disclosed What I deem to be practical and eflicient embodiments of my invention, it would be well understood that I do not wish to limit myself thereto as there might be changes made in the arrangement, disposition and form of the parts without departing from the principle of the present invention as comprehended within the scope of the accompanying claims.

I claim:

1. In combination with an internal combustion engine having an intake pipe, said intake pipe being provided with a connection flange of elongated outline, said intake pipe being, in service, heated to a high temperature, a carburetion apparatus comprising a conduit to be connected with said pipe, said conduit carrying on the inside thereof at a point adjacent said pipe at throttle member, a flange plate made of a metal having a coeificient of thermal expansion lower than that of the metal of said conduit, said flange plate having an outline similar to that of said pipe flange, said flange plate being provided with a hole in register with the bore of said conduit, anchoring means integral with said plate for uniting it with the mass of said conduit, said anchoring means being located close to the inner wall of said conduit, and fixation means for securing said flange plate to said pipe flange at two points diametrically opposed with respect to said hole and located near the respective ends of said flange plate and said pipe flange, said fixation means being the only means for securing said carburetion apparatus to said intake pipe.

2. A combination according to claim 1 in which said anchoring means consist of the upturned inner edge of the flange plate surrounding said hole and embedded in the metal of said conduit.

3. A combination according to claim 1 in which said anchoring means consist of metal strips out in the edge of said hole and up-turned to be embedded in the metal of said conduit.

4. A combination according to claim 1 in which the outer periphery of said plate is upturned to make it more rigid.

5. A combination according to claim 1 in which said plate is a portion of a metal sheet of a thickness ranging from 1 to 2 millimeters.

6. A combination according to claim 1 in which said throttle member is a butterfly valve mounted to turn about an axis transverse to the longitudinal axis of the pipe.

7. A combination according to claim 1 in which said throttle member is a butterfly valve mounted to turn about an axis transverse to the longitudinal axis of the pipe and perpendicular to the line connecting said fixation means.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,211,664 8/1940 Leibing 261-65 2,282,354 5/1942 Gunn 285187 X 2,339,255 1/1944 Dodson 285-202 3,105,861 10/1963 Korte 261--72 3,139,874 7/1964 Krein et al 26141 HARRY B. THORNTON, Primary Examiner.

T. R. MILES, Examiner. 

1. IN COMBINATION WITH AN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE HAVIN AN INTAKE PIPE, SAID INTAKE PIPE BEING PROVIDED WITH A CONNECTION FLANGE OF ELONGATED OUTLINE, SAID INTAKE PIPE BEING, IN SERVICE, HEATED TO A HIGH TEMPERATURE, A CARBURETION APPARATUS COMPRISING A CONDUIT TO BE CONNECTED WITH SAID PIPE, SAID CONDUIT CARRYING ON THE INSIDE THEREOF AT A POINT ADJACENT SAID PIPE A THROTTLE MEMBER, A FLANGE PLATE MADE OF A METAL HAVING A COEFFICIENT OF THERMAL EXPANSION LOWER THAN THAT OF THE METAL OF SAID CONDUIT, SAID FLANGE PLATE HAVING AN OUTLINE SIMILAR TO THAT OF SAID PIPE FLANGE, SAID FLANGE PLATE BEING PROVIDED WITH A HOLE IN REGISTER WITH THE BORE OF SAID CONDUIT, ANCHORING MEANS INTEGRAL WITH SAID PLATE FOR UNITING ITS WITH THE MASS OF SAID CONDUIT, SAID ANCHORING MEANS BEING LOCATED CLOSE TO THE INNER WALL OF SAID CONDUIT, AND FIXATION MEANS FOR SECURING SAID FLANGE PLATE TO SAID PIPE FLANGE AT TWO POINTS DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSED WITH RESPECT TO SAID HOLE AND LOCATED NEAR THE RESPECTIVE ENDS OF SAID FLANGE PLATE AND SAID PIPE FLANGE, SAID FIXATION MEANS BEING THE ONLY MEANS FOR SECURING SAID CARBURETION APPARATUS TO SAID INTAKE PIPE. 